Pyreflies in the Lifestream
by CherryBlossomKnight
Summary: X and VII crossover. Auron meets Aeris in the afterlife and she wants him to guard her as she finds her lost lover in the Lifestream. Rated for some violence, maybe some language, and maybe something else.
1. The Calling

**A/N:** I wanted to write about my two favorite characters in a story. So I decided to make a crossover story of VII and X. I listed it as supernatural/mystery, but it could be seen as friendship/comfort.

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_Pyreflies in the Lifestream_

By LadyDarkKnight

**Chapter 1: The Calling**

It was over, it was finally over. Sin has been destroyed at last and now Spira can enjoy a Calm that would last for eternity.

His mission had been fulfilled and now he can rest peacefully on the Farplane. He had kept his promise.

The Farplane; the final resting place for the dead. A place that existed within the living world of Spira. The living were allowed in the entrance of it to visit the images of their late loved ones. Yet none of the living never dared to venture far beyond that; it was forbidden. The people of Spira were highly spiritual and they respected the resting of the dead. No one really knew what was beyond the Farplane. . .

The man had completed his goal to look after the children of his two dear companions; Braska and Jecht. Yuna, the daughter of Braska, chose to follow the path of her father as a Summoner. It was because of her that Sin was vanquished. Brining on the Eternal Calm would make her famous for many generations to come. Tidus, the son of Jecht, was the blitzball-playing guardian who protected the Summoner Yuna throughout her pilgrimage. The man promised Jecht to watch over Tidus in the Dream Zanarkand world, where Jecht and his son lived. . . and to bring Tidus to Spira someday.

This man, or known as the Legendary Guardian, was relieved to finally depart for the Farplane. . . Yet after several years of living in it, he couldn't help but worry about something. A soft, gentle voice kept speaking to him inside of his mind. And he was the only one who seemed to constantly hear it. It affected him to the point where he was anxiously needed by someone. . .somewhere. This man, named Auron, decided to journey beyond the known boundaries of the Farplane one day, leaving his friends behind.

"You're sure that's a good idea, Auron?" Jecht said, scratching his chin.

"I must, I have a feeling something is calling me from far away." Auron said in his nonchalant voice.

"No one knows what's really out there, man. I think it's best to just leave things we don't know alone."

"Many fear to continue beyond. . .including the dead who live here. It is unknown territory to us. Yet nobody will ever know unless a brave soul is willing to explore out there. . . . I believe that brave soul is you, Auron." Braska said calmly.

"Forgive me, but I'm afraid that I will not rest peacefully unless I go take care of this personally." Auron said.

"Aren't you even wondering what might happen to you if you step beyond these boundaries?" Jecht responded worriedly.

"It is something I must do. I'm sorry Jecht, but this has been disturbing me lately. . .this calling."

"Yeah, but--!"

"Jecht, I think Auron has already made up his mind to go. You know we can't stop him from doing that." Braska said softly.

"Would you at least let us come with you then?" Jecht urged.

"I must do this alone. It's me the voice is calling for after all. Don't worry about me Jecht. What's the worst that could possibly happen to me? . . . . . . Death? It's unlikely for that to happen since I'm already. . . If it meant erasing all my existence. . . Then so be it. I have nothing to exist for anyways. But you two, you have families. Wouldn't you want to reunite with your son and daughter once they are sent here? I don't think they would forgive me if I brought you two along to some unknown region if we were never to return."

Jecht had nothing to say. He silently gazed around him, looking beyond the Farplane.

"Good luck Auron. If you need us for anything. . . We'll be here." Braska said.

"I thank you my friend, but I don't know if I'll be returning." The three companions stared at each other, unsure of whether to shake hands or embrace one another. Instead, the trio simply nodded to each other and Auron began to walk away to start his journey.

That was several days ago.

The red-clad ronin continued to walk for days without resting. Since then, the scenery that was familiar to him had changed; so had the environment. Much of the pyreflies that were native to the Farplane had been slowly disappearing as Auron walked further into the unknown. As he walked further, he began to see a stream of green light wavering in the air. This green stream of light gave Auron strength inside; it felt sublime, as if he had never experience such a sensation before. He thought of them as streams of energy because it made his weariness go away. There were only a couple of them at first, but then they multiplied, swiming in the atmostphere. This energy stream is was not known to him or to the world of Spira. It was his instinct that told him that he was no longer in the Farplane.

Suddenly, Auron came to an abrupt halt to the scene in from of him. "A field of. . . .flowers?"

As Auron walked farther into the flowery meadow, he saw a figure standing just a few feet away from him; a young woman. At first, he thought it was a fiend that was disguised as a woman. But from the years he had lived in the Farplane, there were no fiends. He braced himself anyways, as he wielded a giant katana ready to strike if needed to.

She had a long brown hair that was tied up and braided. She was clad in a pink dress. When Auron walked toward her, he startled her. She gasped and immediately turned to him. She had a very pretty face with emerald green eyes that reminded Auron of the green stream of light. She stood there and looked at him horrified, then she slowly withdrew backwards in fear.

Auron suddenly realized she was no harm, she appeared too innocent. It was just a lost soul. He let his guard down, then wondered if she thought he would harm her because of the katana he carried behind him. He then tried to speak in a light tone, "Are you the one who's calling me?"

The young woman didn't respond. She was still in fear, and looked as if she was ready to defend herself if he was to attack her.

"I'm not going to harm you, I just want to know. . . . .what do you want with me? Why are you calling for me?. . . . What are you doing here, so far away from the Farplane?"

"The. . . Farplane?" She said confused. That voice, it was the same voice that Auron heard in his mind over and over again. That soft, gentle voice that persuaded him to travel this far.

The young lady stood there for a minute, thinking. Just then she smiled and her fear melted away. "Oh! It's you. . . .I was waiting for you." She said softly.

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**A/N:** Well, that's as far as I'm going to write today. Please tell me what you think of it.


	2. The Unsent and The Cetra

**A/N: Okay, before you get into to the story, I wanted to share some of my ideas with you. First of all, we all know that Auron isn't completely heartless, but he _is_ rather stern. Aeris is known to be rather kind hearted and sensitive. Put a relationship between these two and what do you get? Two sharply contrasted people! I wanted to show that even Aeris' gentle nature could melt all of Auron's tough expressions away and show a little compassion from his heart. Heh, this idea encouraged me to write this story. Anyways, enjoy!**

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**Chapter 2: The Unsent and the Cetra**

"Oh! It's you. . . .I was waiting for you." She said softly.

The young woman felt as if she was finally blessed to receive an answer from her prayers. Yet she couldn't help but feel intimidated by her rescuer's appearance; it was menacing. He wore a long red coat, similar to that of a kimono. One sleeve was tucked in a large metal bracer he wore on his arm. And the other wide-brimmed sleeve hanged unused. His left arm was hidden into his coat in a sling-style fashion. She thought he had been injured during his past. He had black hair with a couple of gray streaks in it. She could barely see his face because of the wide-brimmed collar he wore. But from what she could see, he had a grim, austere looking face hidden behind a pair of dark shades. He appeared to be a middle-aged samurai who had went through a difficult past during his life; battled-scarred and seasoned.

_What luck, he's tough looking too! He seems to be an experienced Samurai. . . .and that sword. . .its enormous. . . . He's perfect! _

She smiled coyly at him and then began studying his features. She tossed her head from side to side curiously, lost in thought. Auron continued to stare at her blankly, waiting and expecting her to answer his questions. She merely continued to gawk at him in amazement.

"Why have you called me?" Auron repeated, getting a little impatient after a couple of more minutes passed.

"Oh. . . .!" Auron's gruff voice snapped the young woman out of her thoughts. "Um, Mr. Samurai? . . . . I requested your presence because. . .well, I-I wanted someone to help me with . . . .something." she said timidly, as she bashfully swayed from side to side.

". . . . . . .With what?" Auron responded impassively.

"Would you mind helping me search for someone? Please? I-I can't do it all alone, and I need someone strong to protect me from. . . . . .something." The young woman said, suddenly sounding frightened. She sounded as if she was hiding something rather significant.

Auron stared at her for awhile, debating on whether to help her or not. He looked at the girl and observed her. She was very young; twenty or twenty-one years of age. Obviously she wasn't armed with a blade and she didn't appear to use black magic. She was just a helpless creature; too soft and too innocent to be left alone.

"Please, sir? I-I don't have no one else to turn to. . .a stranger mentioned that you were very powerful. You were once something called a. . .guardian?" She said in her soft voice.

Auron was a little surprised that someone had mentioned him. Who was this stranger? How did he get a hold of this girl?

"Please, will you be my guardian?" The girl pleaded, grasping her hands together. Her emerald eyes showed weakness and sadness; it would have been cruel to resist those eyes. . . She looked so vulnerable and her beautiful innocence was just too delicate to resist.

Yet Auron stood firm. He was unsure at first, but it would have been a waste to travel this far just to return back. He even pitied the beautiful creature. "Fine. I'll assist you in anyway possible." He answered firmly.

The young woman's eyes lit up in excitement. She clapped her hands in joy and smiled with glee. Her smile was like an angel; so serene and genuine. "Oh thank you Mr. Samurai!! I am forever in your gratitude! My name is Aeris by the way. Aeris Gainsborough." She said gently.

_Aeris. . . . . . That's a pretty name. . .Sounds like it came from the heavens. . ._

"My name is. . . . . ." Auron paused for a moment, unsure if he should mention his name due to his past popularity that he hated so much. Aeris tossed her head to one side in confusion. "Auron. . . .that's my name." He answered at last.

"Auron?. . . . .That's a weird name." Aeris responded. Auron felt somewhat a little offended. Clearly she was not familiar with his past reputation as the Legendary Guardian. But in either case, he was glad for that.

"Well, where do you want to search first? You seemed to be familiar with this territory and I am not native to this region. So I expect you to lead and I will follow." Auron said nonchalantly.

"Oh! Before we start looking for him, I need you to help me find my little, pink ribbon. You know, for my hair? I lost it in this field somewhere. . . ." Aeris said innocently, as she started to gaze around the flower field.

". . . . . . . . .What?" Auron was a little annoyed. "First you call me all the way here to help you find someone, and now you want me to help you find a petty ribbon? Young lady, I don't like to waste my time on such frivolous matters. We either search for your person or I'm leaving now." He firmly warned.

As he began to turn away, Aeris called to him, "Wait, please! This ribbon is something special to me! This was given to me by my boyfriend! I have always cherished it." she pleaded.

". . . . . . . ." Auron turned to her in silence and glared. "What is more important to you; your ribbon or your person?" he asked solidly.

"Oh alright! Humph! We'll search for my boyfriend first." she snapped.

_Boyfriend. . . . . . . .?_

"I guess we'll start northward and see what we can find there." she pointed far north of the flower field, towards the cycling, green energy streams that swayed calmly in the atmosphere. "Should we get going, Sir Auron?"

Auron winced at what she called him. That was the name he earned when he became famous for defeating Sin with Braska and Jecht all those years ago. He had always _hated _being called that. It always reminded him of his failure to save his friends.

"My name is Auron. . . ._just _Auron. Nothing else." He warmed softly.

"Okay then. Don't worry sir--! Err, I mean Auron, I'll repay you somehow!"

". . . . . . .Don't worry about it." Auron said patiently.

"I know! How about a date? Yes, I'll go out with you on a date!"

Auron was flabbergasted as he suddenly flinched. "You would date and old man like me?" He teased, somewhat he was flattered that a beautiful soul like her would be interested in him.

Aeris giggled, then smiled in her coy expression . She reminded him of a child; she was so adorable when she was playful. Auron started to wonder why that such a pure, righteous creature even deserved to be sent to this sorrowful place.

"Of course! It's the least I could do. I don't have any gil, which is useless here, and I don't do physical favors either. I can't think of anything else. But don't worry though, my boyfriend will understand that this was out of gratitude. He should be able to agree, since you helped his girlfriend search for him and protected her along the way. I'll be sure to tell him that once we find him."

Auron gave a sigh. "Fine then, we leave now. This flower field is making me uncomfortable. It's too . . . . . .blithesome and bright for me."

"Oh! Do you like it? I grew all of these flowers myself. I love flowers! They're the most beautiful things I have ever seen. And they smell heavenly too! Don't you agree, Auron?"

". . . . . . . .Yeah."

"I think so; they are my strongest passion. I love to grow flowers--"

"Let's just get going, before I change my mind."

**. . . . . .**

Meanwhile, at a long distance from Aeris and Auron stood a cloaked stranger. He gazed at them from afar, watching them walk north.

The stranger had his face completely hidden from a black hood. His long black cloak shielded every part of his body from exposure. At a glance, his shadowy, dark appearance contrasted sharply with the merry field of flowers.

"How marvelous, they have finally met. The young lady did call Sir Auron, just exactly what I told her to do. . . . Everything is planning out in my favor."

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A/N: Oohh! Who could this black, cloaked stranger be? You really want to know? Well too bad! Because I don't even know myself! You'll just have to find out sometime in the story. But I'll give you a hint; it's not Organization XIII! Until next time!


	3. The Hidden Truth

**A/N: **You know, once I read what I've written so far, this story could actually be a mystery/supernatural/friendship/comfort/romance. . . .and maybe something else! Sorry peoples! But I can't seem to decide what official genre to put this under as. You can decide on that for yourselves.

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**Chapter 3: The Hidden Truth**

The Legendary Guardian and the Flower Girl make their way up north, passing the flower field. As they walked, Aeris mostly talked the whole way. Yet Auron stayed silent, listening on her prattling. Mysteriously, the Pyreflies from the Farplane were widely seen in the atmosphere along with the energy stream.

"Look at all these colorful streams! I've never seen anything like this here before." Aeris said excitedly. She danced around the Pyreflies that waved around her.

"Your quite the chatterbox, aren't you?" Auron said brusquely, surprising Aeris that he had spoke suddenly since they had left the flower field.

"I guess you could see me like that. I love to talk, I need someone to talk to so I won't feel lonely. You don't need to listen to me, but I just feel comfortable when I talk to someone. I even do it to myself sometimes. It feels better to have someone to talk to, even though they're not listening to a word I'm saying; I'm just comfortable like that." Aeris said innocently.

Auron didn't respond at first, but then he wanted to change the subject. "What were you originally? What was your occupation when you were still among the living?"

"I was a florist. I used to sell flowers where I used to live." She responded softly.

That was no surprise to Auron. "Where is that, might I ask?"

"Midgar. I, um, I used to live in the slums with my mom." Aeris responded, rather embarrassingly.

"Midgar? . . . . I've never heard of such a place." Living somewhere in the slums was not the place Auron would imagine for someone as beautiful like Aeris to live. "You haven't seen your mother here yet?"

"Um, no. She's. . . she's still alive actually. I don't think she even knows that I am here. But eventually, she'll find out." Aeris paused for a bit. "I'm sad. . . I'm sad that I had to leave her behind. It breaks my heart to know that she'll be in a lot of pain if she found out about me. . . I would be the cause of her suffering and that is the last thing I ever want to do to her. . . But I had no choice that time . . ."

Auron remained silent as he walked rather briskly. Aeris had to jog to keep up with his pace. Yet she was still energetic when she spoke. Auron figured that she would be too exhausted by now to even continue on speaking.

"So Mr. Auron--"

"My name is Auron. There's no _mister_ in it."

"What were you during your life? I know that you were a strong samurai, so don't waste your time explaining that. I've been talking all this time and I don't even know much about you. What was your life like?" Aeris asked curiously.

"That's none of your business." He said out flatly.

"Hey, no fair! You have the nerve to say what I did for a living, and now I don't even get so much as a proper job you had from out of you?! You are very rude mister! Have you no matters in front of a lady?!" A pout spread across her pretty face.

". . . . . . . I was once a warrior monk." Auron finally responded, secretly giving in to the adorable pout.

"A warrior monk? What's that?"

"Warriors from Bevelle who protected the maesters of Yevon and its temples."

". . . . . Bevelle? . . . Maesters? . . . .Yevon? I don't understand. What are those?"

"Never mind that. Its too complicated to explain. Besides, they no longer matter in this place." Auron began to wonder where this girl was actually from. Surly all of Spira knew what Yevon was. . .and the maesters, and Bevelle, the capitol that was located in the heart of Spira.

Aeris didn't respond after that. She merely tried to focus on keeping pace with Auron.

Yet Auron had more concerns that bothered him. Such as where he even was and what this unfamiliar place is. He stopped walking suddenly, surprising Aeris as she nearly rammed into him from behind.

"Might I ask where are we? I'm certain that this is no longer the Farplane, yet somehow the Pyreflies still linger here. . . This doesn't feel like it."

"Pyreflies? Is that what these rainbow stream thingies are called? And what do you mean where are we at? We're in the Lifestream silly! I thought everyone knew that."

". . . . The Lifestream?" Auron said in confusion. He had no idea what that even meant.

"Yes! Don't you see them? Look, they're swimming above us right now." Aeris pointed toward the black sky above them. It was the spiraling green, energy streams that Auron had started to see when he came here. Along with them waved hundreds of Pyreflies.

"So this is called the Lifestream. . ." Auron said thoughtfully.

"Uh-huh, it contains all of the people's lives that had lived on The Planet. Everything; the person has lived through goes to the Lifestream. When a person dies, they go here, bringing everything they know, their feelings, and their memories. It's practically a flow of the spirits. The Lifestream is filled with energy that provides The Planet. So think of it this way; it works like a healing system for The Planet whenever it is harmed. It is the protector of The Planet. This energy that comes from the Lifestream is called Mako, which is used by those living on The Planet for many purposes. Lives that are ended go here, while life is also created here. Think of it as the River of the Dead, or the Cycle of Life and Death, if you will."

Auron remained silent as he stood there in utter confusion, but he did sort of get the gist of it. "So. . . .this Lifestream is simply known as the stream of life. Those who have died are sent here, along with their whole emotions and knowledge they have gained throughout their lifetime. This Lifestream is filled with energy that is vital for this Planet of yours; and it creates life as well. . . Practically, this energy stream contains the memories of your Planet. . ."

"Yup! You've got it!" She said cheerfully. Her angel grin spread across her beautiful features.

"This Planet of yours. . . . Are you referring to Spira?" Auron said, rather curiously.

"Spira? Never heard of that place. . ." Aeris responded.

_So, you and I came from two separate worlds. . ._

He put the thought aside and began to continue on about the Lifestream. "And. . . . . .if this Lifestream was to suddenly disappear, what would happen then?"

Aeris paused for a minute, suddenly putting on a sad expression. "I suppose The Planet would be in utter chaos. If the Lifestream were to disappear, then surly The Planet would soon wither and fade away. . . I'm afraid the dead souls would have nowhere to go if that were to happen. . . There would be no Planet, no living, no death, no recreation, no nothing! I suppose the Cosmos would be just a big empty space."

Auron began to wonder. . . This Lifestream was somewhat similar to the Farplane. "So, the Lifestream and the Farplane are both resting places for the dead. . . Is there some connection between them? There must be. . . Otherwise I wouldn't have traveled this far." He said, scratching his chin absentmindedly.

Aeris shrugged her shoulders and shook her head. "I have no idea. I know nothing of this Farplane of yours; but I have to agree, they are kind of the same. . . There are so many things we don't know about this universe, huh? I mean, even the dead don't know. Its just a big mystery why we are here. . .maybe we'll never know. And these rainbow fireflies have been mysteriously appearing, tons of them! Nobody knows what they are. . ."

"They're called Pyreflies where I'm from. Nothing more than spiritual energies that create images that sometimes fool the living. You said that they are not native here in the Lifestream? Truly this is something odd. . ."

Auron continue to ponder on about the mystery, but then decided to give up and find out when they will reach their destination. "Where are we headed? We've been walking for some time now and I am certain you need some rest."

"We're almost there, see? You can barely see the village." Aeris said, looking far off into the green atmosphere.

The cloudy Lifestream covered most of the sight, but a faint village could be seen indeed in the distance. It remain standing there in the thick green fog, as the Pyreflies swayed around it.

"A village, here? In this place?" Auron surprisingly responded.

"Yup! It's called Devoid of Life. I know, it has a weird, ominous name, but it really is a quiet, nice place. I want you to meet a great friend of mine by the way; his name is Bugenhagen. He has been a great help to me since I came here. He even helped my friends and I, when we were still living on The Planet. He's very wise and kind and, well, he _is_ pretty old. I know we can find out some answers if we go to him. Don't worry, you'll like him!" Aeris said optimistically as she pulled on Auron's arm forward to continue.

As they arrived there, it was something Auron would least expect; the town was lively full of souls. It was busy, full of markets and people roaming around the streets talking and laughing. It was as if they didn't even know they were dead. They all acted just the same as the living. Many Pyreflies continued to flood the place.

"This place is called Devoid of Life? . . . . I see nothing deadly of the place." Auron grunted, as he observed what was around him. He followed Aeris as they pushed their way through the crowd of people.

"I know! There's really no difference between the dead and the living. We all know that we aren't alive anymore; but we don't let that get us down. We all continue on as we once were each passing day. This place is no different from your average town." Aeris responded over her shoulder.

As they passed through the people, many were giving odd looks at Auron. They stared at him as he and Aeris passed through the noisily crowded streets.

"Hmm. . . I see that I do not blend in." Auron gruffly said.

"Well, you do kind of dress differently than we do. You don't look as if you belong here either. They see you as a stranger, a foreigner I suppose. But don't worry though, we get a lot of weirdoes that pass through here every now and then."

"Thanks. That makes me feel. . . .better." Auron responded curtly.

They made their way until they could see a large, odd looking building sitting lonely on the outskirts of the town. It looked like an observatory. They walked up the circling staircase and they stopped at the door. Aeris lightly opened the large, metal doors and gestured Auron to follow her. The room they entered was filled with odd-looking gadgets that looked entirely perplexed on how they were used. They were surrounded by complex machinery that looked ancient and rusted. The circular room they were in had a large, dome-shaped ceiling that contain a gigantic telescope pointing above the dark green sky.

_Are all these Machina? I've never seen this type of Machina before. . ._

"Bugenhagen? Bugenhagen!!" Aeris called out, "It's me, Aeris! We need to talk to you for a minute."

Just then, a tiny old man popped out from the telescope. He was very old; He had a long, white beard and mustache with some matching eyebrows that were very bushy. His head was round and bald. He wore a long, blue robe that covered his entire body. He was wearing round, dark glasses.

"Ah, Aeris, my dear child! You've returned! Did you find your pink ribbon in that flowery meadow of yours?" He said meekly, giving a hug to Aeris.

"No, afraid not. . ." Aeris said disappointedly. "But I found something even _greater_ instead." She stepped aside so Auron would come into view. "Remember how I always prayed for a powerful bodyguard? Well here he is!"

The tiny old man stared up to Auron. "Oh? And who might you be, fine sir?"

"My name is Auron." He said in his gruff voice.

"Hrmm? Auron. . . .peculiar name. Judging by your appearance, you must be a warrior correct? Well in any case, welcome to Devoid, Mr. Auron!"

"It's Auron. . . . I don't have a mister in it."

"Oh! Before we begin discussing, I'll go make some tea!" Aeris said cheerfully as she dashed off into another room.

As Aeris disappeared, Bugenhagen continued to query Auron. "I've never seen your type around here my good sir. Might you be a wandering soul?" Bugenhagen asked curiously.

"I suppose you could say that. . . I only came here because of a certain calling." Auron said, gesturing his head to where Aeris disappeared to.

"Hmm. . . I see. And you are not from The Planet, are you?"

"No, I'm not. I am from Spira. I am certain the two worlds are nowhere near the same location." Auron said bluffly.

"Yes, I suppose you're right. This world of yours called Spira does not ring a bell to me, and I happen to be a highly knowledgeable old man too, my fine sir!" Bugenhagen paused for a minute until he started to think aloud. "So. . . She is powerful enough to call forth a being from another galaxy. . . How astonishing!"

". . . . .Excuse me?" Auron responded to Bugenhagen's thought.

"My good sir! Are you aware of what Miss Aeris is?" Bugenhagen said excitedly.

Auron didn't respond, instead he just stood there in his blunt manner. ". . . . . . No." He said after awhile.

"Well, she is something call an _Ancient_, or more knowingly as a _Cetra_. On The Planet, these Ancients are a highly spiritual race of humans that are very limited. This special group of people could actually communicate with The Planet and could control the flow of the Lifestream. They were the first human race to inhabited The Planet. Yet sadly, they were reduced to only mere fractions when a Calamity that Fell from the Sky came crashing down to The Planet. In only a matter of time, the last remaining Cetras withered away. Aeris was the very last Cetra known to mankind. But as you can see in her state now. . . .the Ancient are believed to be permanently extinct on The Planet." Bugenhagen said in a sorrowful tone.

"So these Ancients, are they highly powerful?" Auron brusquely said, still confused.

"Why, yes indeed my good sir!! They have mysterious powers that are still not widely know to humans to this day and age!! They have very unique abilities. I believe that the only reason you heard her calling was because of her Cetra powers. Perhaps she is still unaware of just how powerful her abilities really are."

"And this Calamity that Fell from the Sky. . . . Are you referring to as Sin?"

"Yes indeed! It was quite sinful!" Bugenhagen responded. Somehow, Auron didn't believe that Bugenhagen understood what he was really saying. Auron thought it was the actual Sin that had terrorized Spira for a thousand years. But it appears that Sin was not known to the people of The Planet.

Just then Aeris appeared, carrying a tray of cups and a pot of tea. "Sorry it took so long!" She said, as she placed it on a rectangular table that was surrounded by a couple of chairs. She sat down and poured a cup for all three of them. She handed the first cup to Bugenhagen.

"Ah, thank you my dear." He said, sipping on the hot tea. "Please make yourself at home, my fine sir!"

Auron didn't react immediately, but he sat in one of the chairs after awhile, figuring that this discussion would take a long while.

"Here you go Auron!" Aeris said smiling, sliding the cup towards his direction.

"Thanks." He said curtly, not even touching the cup as it sat on the table.

"Now, where were we? Ah yes, you said you needed to talk to me or something?" Bugenhagen said, holding his cup of steaming tea.

"Oh yeah, we wanted to know if the Lifestream was somehow connected to the Farplane, where Auron is from." Aeris said in her tranquil tone.

"The Farplane. . . .? This Farplane certainly rings a bell. . . I think I've read that term somewhere in one of my books!"

Bugenhagen suddenly jumped off the chair and scurried to a gigantic book shelf that had a long ladder leaned against it. He climbed the ladder so high that he almost reached the ceiling. He picked off a large, battered book and climbed down briskly. He brushed off the dust then slammed it on the table. Dust continued to puff out; clearly the book was ancient.

"This book mentions someplace called the Farplane; final resting place of the dead, correct?"

Auron nodded, surprised that there was actually someone in the Lifestream who knew of it. "The Farplane exists within Spira."

"Mmmm. . . Peculiar. . . This book fails to mention where it was located at. . . But in any case, the book says that all dimensions are connected. If that is so, then I would not fail to believe that your Spira world is indeed connected to our Planet." Bugenhagen quickly flipped the pages of the book, dust continued to puff out of it as the pages turned. The pages were extremely old, they were yellow, chipped and moth-eaten. He stopped to a section. "Here it is! According to this book, invisible barriers block our connections. Even while the dimensions we live in are connected, they were not meant to coexist. Therefore, you shouldn't even be here, my fine sir! Yet here you are!"

"Interesting. . . So Auron was not meant to be here in the Lifestream. Because he doesn't belong here. . ." Aeris said thoughtfully.

"Correct! Auron has never existed here, he was not born here! Basically, he does not belong in the Cosmos. Which means he is a foreigner who should belong to the dimension he was properly known in. The invisible barriers between the dimensions were to prevent any beings that did not belong within it boundaries from entering. But here he is. . . That could only mean one thing. . ."

"The barriers between the dimensions have broken!! That's why Auron is here and why there are so many of those rainbow Pyrefly thingies floating around outside in the Lifestream!!" Aeris gasped.

"Yes. . . I see no other explanation. . . But the _real_ question is. . . How did the barriers break? Who broke them? _What_ broke them?" Bugenhagen and Aeris sat there thinking critically on the subject.

Auron remained sitting there looking at the two, completely lost on the topic. "Maybe it's best to lay off the subject for awhile. . . It can't simply be found out right away. Meanwhile I was called here on a mission; to find your missing person and to protect you along the way." He said, looking in Aeris' direction.

"Oh, that's right! Bugenhagen, I mainly came here to say goodbye for awhile. I called for Auron to protect me, but I really wanted Auron here to help me find _. . . . him._" Aeris said softly.

Bugenhagen didn't say anything at first, but then he let out a long, depressing sigh. "Oh, my dear Aeris. . . You'll never give up hope until you have finally found _him_, won't you?"

"I know that he's out there Bugenhagen. I won't give in to despair!" Aeris said with determination.

"Quite an optimistic creature you are, aren't you? You know what frightful situation you are in. . . Yet you still continue to risk your well-being to find a loved one. Fine then. . . I won't stop you. But _please_ take those Materias I gave to you! They will be a great help for you and Auron in your journey."

"Oh, of course! How could I possibly forget?" Aeris dashed into another room again, out of sight.

While Aeris was gone, Bugenhagen turned to Auron. "I hope you know what you're getting yourself into, my fine sir. You're in for a long, frightful challenge. Please protect Aeris no matter what! I'm afraid she has something rather malicious chasing after her for some time now. I did my best when hiding her. Besides that, many fiends have been suddenly appearing aside from your Pyreflies. I just hope you're powerful enough to stand against it. Hopefully you are as strong as she said you were."

"Don't worry, I won't fail her or you. I am her guardian now, and I am bound to defend her whatever means necessary. . . .even if it meant dying a second time." Auron pledged his loyalty. Bugenhagen merely responded in a sad smile.

Aeris returned carrying a rather small bag that rapped around her waist. She now wore a red mini jacket over her long, pink dress. On her back, she wielded a long metal staff. Auron didn't know if that was her choice of weapon; if it was, it wouldn't have any effect in damage, but he refrained from saying anything about it.

"Shall we get going then?" Aeris said merrily.

Auron nodded. "Yes, let us continue to search." he said bluntly.

As they made their way toward the door, Bugenhagen called to Auron. "Please! Keep her safe from harm!!" He begged.

"Don't worry, I'll keep her safe. . . . No matter what." Auron promised, as he turned to leave through the door.

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**A/N: **Okay, basically that was the longest chapter I've written for this story so far. I put a lot of thought into it too, so don't go telling me it sucked. This chapter may appear to you guys as a history lesson you learned from the games. Which means you probably got bored reading it. I don't know about you guys, but I haven't played X in quite a while and I haven't played VII in quite a _longer_ while, so I sort of forgot the storylines of both of them. Think of it as a review of the games or something. Anyways, I'm out until next time. Please feel free to leave some reviews.


	4. The Mystifying Woods

**A/N: **Not much to say, except that I think that Auron's hot (Oh yeah, I actually went there and admitted it!) and I think Aeris is the prettiest female character in any gaming role. So it was absolutely perfect making these two into a team. I should save myself from anymore embarrassment and let you guys read. . . . . . . Well here you go. . . .

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**Chapter 4: The Mystifying Woods**

When leaving Devoid behind, Auron couldn't help but feel completely lost, now that he was in a foreign world. They continued to walk north. After several hours, Aeris lead him to a big, thick forest where they entered. The forest wasn't dark, but a bright green light shinned all around them from above; which was odd, since most of the trees barred the sight of the sky above them. A large dirt path lead them to their next destination, (wherever that place was, Auron thought), as they followed it. Pyreflies continued to roam freely here too. It appeared to be a nice, quiet forest, with the beautiful nature surrounding them. Yet looks can be deceiving.

"We are in the Mystifying Woods now. Not many travel through here because the forest plays trick on them, making it very easy to get lost. In a way, this forest is indeed alive; it likes to play mind tricks on those who dare venture through here. Sometimes those who enter here never come out, because they've lost their way. They could practically wander in here forever!" Aeris explained.

Yeah, that sure made Auron feel comfortable.

"And, you think that this person of yours is somewhere in here?" Auron asked bluntly.

"No, I don't think so. He may act stupid, but he really isn't. He's the type of guy that can always get out of the worst situations. So he might have passed through here already without a scratch on him." Aeris responded optimistically.

Suddenly, some fiends came from out of the bushes startling them; about a dozen of them. The fiends were no doubt the common Dingoes, fiends that were all too familiar to Auron back in Spira. The Dingo pack had circled Auron and Aeris in; they were surrounded. Auron kept Aeris behind him, as he removed his left arm from his coat and busted out his big katana. He cautioned himself as he waited for one of the fiends to strike first. He was willing to take the beating for Aeris.

Then one of the Dingoes from behind Aeris attempted to attack her. But Auron was quicker; as he wheeled around, pushed Aeris aside and shielded her. The fiend bit into Auron's bare, muscular arm. As the fiend bit viciously, blood squirted from his arm. Auron punched the head as it fell back, recoiled. Auron immediately felt a strong surge of pain, as the blood gushed out of his arm.

_Blood?! Why. . .?! Why do I feel such pain?!_

Before Auron could finish thinking, another Dingo jumped at him. Auron quickly thrust up his katana as the fiend landed on it, impaling itself to death. Afterwards, the Dingo faded into Pyreflies. One down; eleven more fiends to go.

Two more fiends began to strike at Auron, but he effortlessly swung his katana around him, causing the two Dingoes to burst into Pyreflies as well.

Meanwhile, as Auron was occupied with three other fiends, the remaining focused their assault on Aeris. Completely powerless without her guardian, she took the metal staff from her back and guarded herself. Terror overwhelmed her as she could feel and hear her heart beating at a alarming rate. Two Dingoes dashed at her. But she successfully bounced them back with her staff. As they flinched, Aeris ran clumsily towards them and whacked them with her staff, causing little damage. Fear jolted inside of her; she was no match for all four fiends. One of the Dingoes was about to thrash at her. Aeris withdrew, preparing for the impact.

As the fiend was about to ram into her, Auron came to the rescue as he elbowed back the fiend, impaling it with his katana as it hit the ground. Three fiends were left. They suddenly jumped onto Auron all at once, biting furiously at him. He kicked one of them off, but it ran back at him again, this time plunging him into the ground. Auron lost his grip on his katana as it flew out of his hand. The Dingo ran at full speed at Auron, baring its sharp fangs. Luckily Auron reached for his katana in time as he thrust it at the Dingo just as it was about to gnaw his face off. It exploded into Pyreflies.

Aeris was fending for herself, as one of the Dingoes began to bite away at the bottom hem of her pink dress. She tried to hit it with her staff, but the other Dingo gnawed at the end of her metal staff, holding it in place so she couldn't even move it.

Auron quickly got up from the ground as he ran at full speed and slashed away at the fiend that was tearing away at Aeris' dress. He skimmed to a stop, dirt flying in the air. Then he wielded his katana in a 180 degree angle, slicing the last of the Dingoes into twos. The fiend gave a monstrous howl before bursting into Pyreflies. The Pyreflies fluttered gently around the forest.

Auron maintained his position for awhile, but suddenly fell to the ground; exhausted and badly injured. He heaved, gasping for air. He had never been so tired; it took so much energy to fight off just twelve Dingoes. Normally, his original party could finish them all off in just one turn. Surly these Dingoes were far too powerful than the original ones back in Spira. And he was alone too, so it wouldn't be a wonder why that he took on all twelve fiends by himself with difficulty. He no longer had his team mates by his side anymore; no Kimahri, no Wakka, no Lulu, no Rikku, no Yuna, and no Tidus.

"Auron. . .?" Aeris said suddenly, still recovering from her terror.

"I'm sorry, Aeris. I. . . I haven't fought fiends in quite awhile. . . I'm afraid I was a little rusted during combat. . . We normally don't have to worry about fiends back in the Farplane. . . . . . . Are you alright?" Auron responded breathlessly. He was ashamed that she had to see him like this; he was supposed to be a highly skilled warrior.

"Oh yes! I'm fine now. But--?! Auron! Oh no, you're hurt!!" Aeris said with concern, as she clamed her hands around her mouth.

Auron had bruises and bites all over his arm. Blood was still surging from his deep wounds. Indeed, he was in great pain, but strongly refused to show any signs of it in front of Aeris.

"Oh!" Aeris quickly reached into her tiny pouch that hung from her slender hips. She pulled out, what seemed to be a small clear-green sphere that glowed mysteriously. She rushed over to Auron and kneeled down in front of him. "Here, let me help. . ." She pleaded softly.

As she reached out a hand to comfort his wounds, Auron quickly slapped it away. "Humph!" He grunted. He didn't like to be cared for when he was injured; he always thought that it showed a sign of weakness. Auron was very stoic, he had always been that way. He absolutely refused to let anyone know that he was hurt or that he was in pain.

Aeris quickly stood up and put her hands on her hips as she puffed impatiently. "Oh you are so stubborn!! I am _trying_ to help you, but you're acting like such a tough guy and act as though you don't even need me, when you really do need me!" She said irritably.

Auron grunted again.

"Come on. . . Please don't act that way. . ." She pleaded gently, that was persuasive. She grasped her hands together, lifting them up to her chin. Aeris' emerald eyes sparkled so adorably to refuse.

". . . . . . Fine." Auron responded firmly. He turned his head in defeat.

Aeris smiled in delight as she held the glowing green sphere to his wounds; they began to heal instantly. The blood stopped streaming and Auron could feel relief in his arm again.

"There now, that wasn't too bad now was it? Feel better?" Aeris asked softly.

Auron ignored her question and asked something else instead. "What is that sphere?"

"Oh, this? It's called Materia. Materias are special spheres that allow us to do magic. They have various uses; most known for casting spells, summoning, and other actions as well. They are infused with Mako; energy from the Lifestream. This one I used here was a Green Materia. It allows me to perform the Cure spell."

"So, you were once a White Mage, correct?" Auron queried brusquely.

"Why yes! That was originally my job class!" Aeris said in her benign tone.

"Good. While you may not be very helpful in actual combat, you will be helpful in healing afterwards." Auron said, rather relieved. "But. . . What I'm wondering is. . . Why did I start bleeding? Why could I suddenly feel pain, something that only the living could feel? And these fiends. . . There aren't supposed to be any in the afterlife. . ."

"Oh, I don't know. Let's just get out of this forest already. . . Before another fiend attacks us." Aeris said frightened.

"Yes, wise decision." Auron said in agreement. Aeris tried to help him up, by gently pulling up on his other arm for support; but he quickly smacked her hand away from him again. Aeris responded with a pout on her face.

The two continued to walk down the path east when they came to a stop. Many branches blocked the path, refraining them from continuing any farther. The branches were thick and impossible to see through.

"Oh, what do we do now?" Aeris said disappointedly.

Auron walked up to the branches, then suddenly wielded out his katana again and started slashing vertically at the blockade. Only to find that it grew rapidly back together again. Auron grunted in frustration.

"Well that's one way of getting through, but I have a better way."

A voice said suddenly.

The two immediately looked around themselves, alarmed. Auron prepared his katana, while Aeris rushed towards him and hid behind him for safety. A woman suddenly emerged from the thick trees. She wore strange clothing; obviously she wasn't from around here. She wore what seemed like a long, green dress-robe. She had a calm disposition.

"Well, what a surprise. . . A pleasure to meet you again, Sir Auron." She said with a smile.

Auron slowly lowered his katana in shock.

He couldn't believe it; it was Belgemine.

The Unsent Summoner that had met Yuna for the first time on the Mi'ihen Highroad. She used to always challenge Yuna when they crossed paths to an Aeon battle. Ultimately, she failed to defeat Sin and had been wandering as an Unsent ever since; until Yuna finally put her soul to rest by sending her to the Farplane at Remiem Temple.

"Lady Belgemine. . . ?"

"And what an odd circumstance to meet under in as well." Belgemine said, laughing.

"Auron, you know this woman?" Aeris said suddenly, as she came into view.

"Oh, and have you guarded this young girl through her pilgrimage too? Sir Auron, I see you like to favor being a guardian to beautiful, young Summoner girls only." Belgemine laughed.

"What are you doing here? Why aren't you in the Farplane?" Auron demanded.

"Well, I would have thought that's what you wanted to know. As you already know, I'm a traveler. So I came here, still expecting that this place was still the Farplane; but as you can see, it wasn't. I came to these woods, only to lose my way. I happened to find my way to the heart of the forest to find a pedestal that held this." Belgemine held up what seemed to be an old mirror. "You see this? It's called the Mirror of Truth. Interesting artifact; it has the power to see the truth obviously. This ancient mirror is vital if you want to make it out of here. It can see the falsities of this forest. And it has the power to see rightful paths."

Aeris looked at it with passion. "So we can make it through these branches?"

"That's right my dear. You two can borrow it from me. I can leave here anytime I want, but I don't feel like it. I happen to inhabit these woods now, assisting lost travelers, such as yourselves. I happen to find it more peaceful and quieter than the Farplane." She said with a smile.

Aeris merrily took it from her. "Thank you very much! We really appreciate it! I was starting to get worried that I would never find my boyfriend."

"Thanks. I owe you." Auron said.

Belgemine shook her head. "No, defeating Sin was enough for me. Thank _you_ for your sacrifice." She looked over at Aeris, "And I hope you find your lover, my dear. Good luck on your journey you two." She said before walking away, disappearing into the thick forest.

"Gee, that was awfully nice of her." Aeris turned to the thick branches that impeded their path, and faced the mirror to it. Instantly, the branches slowly dissembled and made a clear way. "Yay!" Aeris shouted in delight. "Well what are you waiting for, my guardian? Let's get going."

Auron didn't respond, but silently followed her.

Eventually, they made their way through the never ending forest. Aeris decided to hold on to the mirror, revealing the lies of the forest along the way. In no time, the have reached the end of the Mystifying Woods to have wide-open plains that were lustrous green facing them.

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**A/N: **Well there you go! Another chapter from me, LadyDarkKnight. I'll have to inform you all that writing combat situations and adventures are not my strong point, I had a hard time writing the ambush scene. But hopefully I did a good job on that. Anyways, it may be awhile before I can write the next chapter, I'll be busy in the next two weeks. But don't worry, I shall return!!


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